I remember my first night under one, having finally got to sleep at about 3am, some sadistic NCO lobbed thunderflashes into the woods right next to us, and to the cries of 'stand to..stand to' we dived around the woods springing trip flares and tripping over eachothers ponchos
I think it rained too
Sounds nice!First night out - cheap poncho from an army surplus store, cheap plastic bivy bag (semi-breathable but green not orange). I was maybe 10 at the time and had just read Lofty Wiseman's survival book, 'sounds amazing' thought I Middle of a wood half a mile from home in the middle of winter, I got there after dark, set up camp... oh yeah I didn't mention that the sleeping bag was one of those rectangular car camping types that had also seen better days. Got a small fire going and was almost comfortable, a bit cold but I don't remember it being too bad. I do remember waking up in the early hours of the morning though, feet absolutely frozen, the forest sounding really quiet. Torch on to find snow covering everything, including the end of my bivi bag which was sticking out the end of the poncho...
Thankfully I'd bought paper and firelighting stuff with me and stored some wood under the poncho too so it wasn't long 'til I got the fire going again. Made it through to the morning with no lasting damage but a newfound love for winter camping. Oh and good kit!
Yeah bivying's great go for it! There'll prob be uncomfortable nights occasionally but you live with them and they do make trips more memorable - for good reasons in retrospect!
Ioan
Sounds nice!First night out - cheap poncho from an army surplus store, cheap plastic bivy bag (semi-breathable but green not orange). I was maybe 10 at the time and had just read Lofty Wiseman's survival book, 'sounds amazing' thought I Middle of a wood half a mile from home in the middle of winter, I got there after dark, set up camp... oh yeah I didn't mention that the sleeping bag was one of those rectangular car camping types that had also seen better days. Got a small fire going and was almost comfortable, a bit cold but I don't remember it being too bad. I do remember waking up in the early hours of the morning though, feet absolutely frozen, the forest sounding really quiet. Torch on to find snow covering everything, including the end of my bivi bag which was sticking out the end of the poncho...
Thankfully I'd bought paper and firelighting stuff with me and stored some wood under the poncho too so it wasn't long 'til I got the fire going again. Made it through to the morning with no lasting damage but a newfound love for winter camping. Oh and good kit!
Yeah bivying's great go for it! There'll prob be uncomfortable nights occasionally but you live with them and they do make trips more memorable - for good reasons in retrospect!
Ioan
Especialy when 10 yo son got up , lit fire with fire steel , and cooked his younger sister , brother and myself!
you'll love it, hate it and then be obsessed by it.
Best thing you could ever do.